This latest Azure SQL Database Update (V12) brings near-complete SQL Server engine compatibility, even more Premium performance and marks the first step in delivering the next generation of the SQL Database service. Improved T-SQL compatibility with SQL Server
2014 makes it easier to migrate most on-premises databases to the latest Azure SQL Database Update (V12) using tools that you already use today (e.g. SQL Server Management Studio) with a single-click. The cookbook has details on using these updated tools and
other approaches based on the features you use in your on-premises database.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database Microsoft® Azure SQL Database ™ is a cloud-based relational database service built on SQL Server® technologies. It provides a highly available, scalable, multi-tenant database service
hosted by Microsoft in the cloud. To sign up for Windows Azure SQL Database , go to
Windows Azure free trial.

Azure SQL Database v12
The latest
preview for Azure SQL Database, brings near-complete SQL Server engine compatibility and more Premium performance. This preview marks the first step in delivering the next generation of the SQL Database service which will bring customers more compatibility,
flexibility and performance.

Improved monitoring and troubleshooting: Extended Events (XEvents) and visibility into over 100 new table views via an expanded set of Database Management Views (DMVs).

Greater performance in the Premium tier: Parallel queries and in-memory support for columnstore indexes on data mart analytics queries.

New S3 performance level in the Standard tier: offers more pricing flexibility between Standard and Premium. S3 will deliver 100 DTU and all the features available in the Standard tier.

Azure SQL Database Service Tiers and Performance Levels
Microsoft Azure has introduced new
SQL Database Service Tiers. I highly recommend that you start working with them as the old Web and Business editions will hit
end of life September 2015 so it will be good to plan ahead.

For a limited time, new customers can sign up for Azure SQL Database and get a 1GB Web Edition Database for no charge…and no commitment. This is a great way to try Azure SQL Database – and the Windows Azure platform – without the risk. For more information
go to
Windows Azure Platform Introductory Special

SQLAzureMW Supported Languages

SQLAzureMW が、国際対応できたことを発表できて光栄に思う。最初の翻訳言語は、日本語です！

SQLAzureMW unterstützt nun die deutsche Sprache.

SQLAzureMW ondersteunt nu de taal Nederlands.

SQLAzureMW ahora soporta el idioma español.

SQLAzureMW supporte maintenant la langue française

SQLAzureMW 现在支持中文了。

SQLAzureMW 現在已可支援繁體中文了。

Project Description Continued
SQL Database Migration Wizard (SQLAzureMW) is an open source application that has been used by thousands of people to migrate their SQL database to and from Windows Azure SQL Database. SQLAzureMW is a user interactive wizard that walks a person through the
analysis / migration process. One of the main requests from the SQLAzureMW community was to take the user interactive wizard and make it command line driven interface so that it could be used in an automated backup process to back up their Windows Azure SQL
Database schema / data to a data store for disaster recovery. I am excited to let you know that SQLAzureMW now has two tools that can be used from a command line:

SQLAzureMWBatchBackup:

This is used to create a backup of a database schema and data. The data is downloaded via BCP. The TSQL output from SQLAzureMWBatchBackup can be used by SQLAzureMW or SQLAzureMWBatchUpload.

SQLAzureMWBatchUpload:

Takes the output from SQLAzureMW or SQLAzureMWBatchBackup and runs it against the target Azure SQL Database (or SQL Server) server.

Complete documentation for SQLAzureMW, SQLAzureMWBatchBackup and SQLAzureMWBatchUpload can be found on the download site.

The SQLAzureMW tools greatly simplify schema analysis and migration process. If you don’t have an Windows Azure account and have been thinking about moving your data to the cloud (Microsoft Azure SQL Database), but have been afraid to try because of “unknowns”
like cost, compatibility, and effort? SQL Database Migration Wizard (SQLAzureMW) is a free set of open source applications that have been developed by the database community to help you address these issues. SQLAzureMW will help you analyze your SQL Server
database for compatibility issues and will migrate your schema and data to Microsoft Azure SQL Database.

It will also analyze SQL Profiler trace files and TSQL script for compatibility issues with Microsoft Azure SQL Database.

If your source is a SQL Server database, SQLAzureMW will list all of the object types (i.e. Tables, Stored Procedures, Views, etc.) and let you decide which ones you want analyzed / scripted. Using the “Advanced” options you can tell SQLAzureMW which compatibility
checks to perform and if the data should be migrated.

If your source is a file containing TSQL, then you will be given the option to have SQLAzureMW check the TSQL for incompatibilities and fix where possible or just run the script without any compatibility checking.

You can specify a SQL Profiler trace file for analysis.

SQLAzureMWBatchBackup Project Details
The SQLAzureMWBatchBackup is a command line application that will analyze, create TSQL script of database and backup data (via BCP) from a SQL Server or SQL Azure database. The output of SQLAzureMWBatchBackup can be used in SQLAzureMWBatchUpload.

SQLAzureMWBatchUpload Project Details
The SQLAzureMWBatchUpload is a command line application that will run a TSQL script file (and use BCP to upload data) against a target server. SQLAzureMW and SQLAzureMWBatchBackup can be used to generate the TSQL script and the BCP files that can then be used
by SQLAzureMWBatchUpload for uploading to a target server. The target server can be Microsoft Azure SQL Database or SQL Server.

Configurable
There is a config file “NotSupportedByAzureFile.Config” that is used to define what to look for / replace within the SQL generated code. This file uses RegEx expressions and if you see a pattern that you want removed from the SQL Script, you can put the pattern
in the config file and specify what you want to replace it with (if anything).

When the SQL script is generated, an analysis window will be displayed telling you what areas need to be fixed prior to running the script against Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Once you are satisfied, you can tell the wizard to run your script against Microsoft
Azure SQL Database and your script will be ran against your cloud database and the success / failed results will be displayed in a wizard window.

SQL Database Migration Wizard Utils (SQLAzureMWUtils)
SQLAzureMWUtils is a class library that a developer can use to assist them in developing for Microsoft Azure SQL Database. To find out more, read the SQLAzureMWBatch documentation.

Note

SQL Database Migration Wizard does not catch all of the compatibility issues between different levels of SQL Server databases (i.e. level 90, 100, and 110). SQL Database is based on SQL Server 2014 (level 120). If you are migrating from an older database (level
80, 90, 100, and 110), you should go through the upgrade process first (at least in the dev environment) and once on SQL Server 2014, then migrate to Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Here are some great resources to help you with migrating from older versions
of SQL Server: